Membership in the Alabama Education Retirees Association, Inc. (AERA), is open to anyone who receives retirement benefits from the Teachers' Retirement System of Alabama. Currently, AERA has over 24,000 members

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Membership makes us stronger especially at the Alabama Legislature where numbers speak louder than words. The value of lobbying efforts done on behalf of retirees is immeasurable. AERA along with the Alabama Education Association (AEA), lobbies to protect PEEHIP insurance funding and cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs). Alabama law does not provide automatic COLAs. Our lobbying efforts have been successful in obtaining numerous COLAs over the past 10 years.

For more information about membership in AERA and the many benefits you

can receive, please email us at info@aerainc.org or call toll free at

1-800-537-6867. You may also download membership applications below.
 

Membership Form         Pre-Retired Membership Form

As consumers we are bombarded with products and services to buy. Advertising experts try every angle to entice us to use their product. In Advertising 101 students learn to use the words "new and improved" to persuade consumers to respond. During the summer, letters are sent to education retirees to persuade them to join the Alabama Education Retirees Association, Inc. The letters are a joint effort between AEA Executive Secretary Dr. Paul Hubbert and me. A lot of time and effort goes into these letters. Our goal is to convince all education retirees that they need to belong to AERA.

Is AERA "new and improved?" Yes and no. AERA is over 50 years old so we are not new. However, each year the staff, the board of directors, committee members, and local unit leaders work to improve the association and to improve the benefits provided to education retirees. Here are the improvements AERA has made for you:

 
      -Lobbied with AEA to secure a 7 percent cost of living allowance (COLA) for all

       education retirees. Education retirees who retired prior to October 1, 2005*

       received this COLA. (*Note: AEA/AERA did not include this cut-off date in the

       bill nor did we support the cut-off date as approved by state legislators.)
 

      -Lobbied with AEA to protect your PEEHIP allowance. This allowance is not a

       guaranteed retirement benefit. Without the allowance, monthly benefit costs would

       be over $500. In some states education retirees do not receive an allowance and

       to obtain health insurance in retirement they must pay the entire monthly cost or

       forego the insurance. Could you afford $500 to $600 a month for your health 

       insurance?
 

      -Lobbied to protect the Education Trust Fund. Diversion of funds will lead to a

       weakened retirement system.
 

      -Works with national associations to protect Social Security and Medicare.
 

      -Offers opportunities to earn continuing education credits (CEUs,) which will allow

       teachers to keep their teaching certificate current. This opportunity is free to all

       members.
 

      -Publishes a magazine, The AERA Voice!, for members only. This publication is

       designed to provide needed information for education retirees. Members also

       received The Alabama School Journal that keeps all education personnel informed

       on legislative issues.

AERA works to maintain and improve education retirees' lifestyles. We offer membership to everyone covered by the Teachers' Retirement System. I will continue to urge, persuade and hopefully convince all education retirees to join AERA.

Our strength is our members and we need you! Please respond positively when your invitation to join arrives in your mailbox. Ed McMahon will not appear at your door with a million dollar prize, but your membership will pay dividends in the future!